new user, oriental bench pics

[michael_p]

hello all, this is my first post here. i have been viewing for awhile but unable to post until now (problem with registering,fixed thanks).
anyway my wife and i are very into oriental decor/design and try to use it both in our home and garden. our garden is not a full blown japanese garden as many of you have but we tried to give it that feel. the main focal point is a small pond that spill over into a rock stream and flows into
a larger pond with 2 koi and water lilies. we included plants that seem appropriate such as juniper , azalae, rhododendron, japanese maple and some ornimental grasses. we wanted to include a bench but were unable to find anyone selling oriental style garden benches. being an amateur woodworker at the time( more advanced now) i decided to build my own.
the last pic is a cad drawing of a new bench i am working on it will be raffled off at a charity golf outing to benefit my nephews, there mother died of brest cancer a few years ago.


http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/tmp21475/100-0029_IMG.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/tmp21475/100-0031_IMG.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/tmp21475/100-0032_IMG.jpg
http://i79.photobucket.com/albums/j135/tmp21475/bench.jpg
thanks for looking
michael

[MrNorth]

Nice work! Although Im not a student of east asian estethics I think it is great, excellent workmanship! I wish I had the time and skill to build stuff like that.

It would be great to see the pond and your garden on some pics, and also where you planned to place this bench. Perhaps close to a pond and lantern? Remember that everything in a japanese garden need to have a purpose, a meaning. And not just place things there because they look nice and "asian". (And yeeees, I did buy the yukimi-gaata without having a proper plan for it... but I will eventually, I promise )

yoku dekimashita
Henrik

[koiboy01]

Hi Micheal,
A really nice bench there you have done a magnificent job,
George.

[michael_p]

thanks for the comments guys, my post was edited down because i did something that was not allowed (sorry webmaster, i didn't know and could not find a rules page).
anyway here is a link to the pics of my pond and some of the garden.
http://mysite.verizon.net/vzenvq2h/id15.html
thanks
michael

[MrNorth]

Nice pics, I like the small pond and its edging. However, the arbor was the thing that "disturbed" me the most.. When I saw it I immediately started to think about an italian flower garden... they use lots of those things for different climbing plants. In a japanese garden perhaps it is a bit unsuitable? Check out pics of sukiya-mon gates on the internet, perhaps you get some inspiration. There is also a commersial company which starts with the letter W that builds these things. But I think its against forum laws to post the full name/link here


/Henrik

[michael_p]

mrnorth,
yes that arbor doesn't exactly fit well. it was my first woodworking project(4+yrs ago) and i am having a hard time commiting to removing/replacing it.
that arbors been through alot, it has flipped over twice in wind storms, broken into 3+pieces and yet it still went back together. i have seen many style of gates that would fit better and are well within my ability
to build. maybe the next storm will damage the arbor beyond repair and give me a kick in the behind to make something more appropriate.
michael